Secret Gardens

It’s that time of year again! This weekend is our annual Secret Garden Tour from noon to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Attendees will be able to tour 13 beautifully landscaped gardens within the heart of Annapolis’ historic downtown that are otherwise closed to the public. The tour this year features such historic gems as the Chase-Lloyd House, the Peggy Stewart House, and, of course, the Hammond-Harwood House. You don’t need to be an avid gardener to enjoy the sights and smells of these wonderfully maintained urban oases. Whether large or small, roses or hydrangeas, these gardens promise to be a special treat.

Tickets are still available. You can purchase them for the advance price of $25 by calling 410-263-4683 or by visiting our website. Please note that advance tickets end today, Friday, May 31 at 4pm. Tickets will be available at the Hammond-Harwood House (19 Maryland Ave., Annapolis, MD 21401) on Saturday and Sunday for $30. We hope you come smell the roses!

Party Like Pride & Prejudice

Tomorrow we are having a Pride and Prejudice-themed tea at Hammond-Harwood House, so my brain has been all Austen, all the time. And I’m not the only one; since this year is the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s best-known work, people all over the world are celebrating. The most impressive commemoration was put together by the BBC, and involved recreating the Netherfield ball described in the book for a program called, “Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball.” They brought together experts on Regency history, food, fashion, and dancing, and the results look stunning. The program should be available online soon, and I can’t wait to watch!

Scenes from “Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball” created by the BBC

A New Look

By Tara Owens

The Hammond-Harwood House opens for the season this Saturday, April 6 at 12pm.  In preparation for opening day, my fellow intern Brianna Arnold and I rotated the objects in the exhibit gallery.  The overall goal of this redesign was to provide a better introduction to the House for visitors and give them a glimpse of what they will encounter on the tour.  After many hours scouring our collections, three themes emerged: occupants of the Hammond-Harwood House, highlights from the collection, and architecture. One section of the gallery focuses on the history of the occupants of the House with examples of family crests, a visual timeline of the owners, and items owned by the last occupants, Hester and Lucy Harwood. This will help visitors to understand the historical timeline of the House and make the information presented in the tour more relatable. Highlights from the collections present visitors with examples of the decorative and fine arts they will encounter within the House. The architecture section introduces the visitor to one of the key elements that makes the House historically significant. The Hammond-Harwood House is one of the best examples of American colonial architecture and the new exhibit gallery offers information on the House’s architectural details and history. We hope the new exhibit gallery will enhance your experience at the Hammond-Harwood House.  So, starting this Saturday, we hope to see you there!

A photograph of Hester Harwood as a young girl, now on display in the exhibit gallery

Party Time!

Daffin House, in Hillsboro, Maryland

On September 22, the Hammond-Harwood House Association is hosting our annual Garden Party at Daffin House in Hillsboro, Maryland. Daffin House has long been one of the great houses of Caroline County. It is thought that the earliest part of the house, the one and a half story northern section, was built in the 1760’s as a typical hall and parlor home. This building type was common in pre-revolutionary Eastern Shore Maryland. The large two-and-a-half-story main section was built in 1783 by Charles Daffin. Guests at the party will have the opportunity to tour the House, as well as enjoying cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and music. For more information, see our website.

A Secret Garden in the News

The home of John and Louise Hammond, featured in the Annapolis Capital

The Annapolis Capital featured the home of John and Louise Hammond as their Home of the Week! The Hammonds’ lovely garden will be part of this weekend’s Secret Garden Tour (Saturday  & Sunday, noon-5pm, are you tired of me telling you about it yet?). Check out the article to see more pictures of their colorful home (and adorable grandson).

Friday Photo: Delicious Weather

I hope you’re outside enjoying the sunshine today! Unfortunately the forecast says it’s going to be short-lived. But if you find yourself yearning for sunshine and flowers while sitting inside staring at the rain this weekend, you can purchase your ticket for the Hammond-Harwood House’s Secret Garden Tour on June 2 and 3. It will take place in the lovely Murray Hill neighborhood in Annapolis, and feature beautiful private gardens.  Tickets are $25 in advance and will be $30 the weekend of the Tour.

Friday Photo: A Smoking Party

"A Smoking Party", 1824. The Lewis Walpole Library.

We have a new event this spring! On May 12th, we will be pairing fine rums and cigars in celebration of the historic rum trade. As the print above from the Lewis Walpole Library shows, gentlemen enjoyed puffing and quaffing in social situations in the 19th century. Of course, we will be outside instead of sitting around the Hammond-Harwood dining room! All guests (of age, of course!) are invited to partake in the sampling from 5pm-7pm in our beautiful garden. Please call 410-263-4683 ext.10 for reservations. $60 per person.

Friday Photo: Maryland Day!

 

Hello HHH enthusiasts!

This year we are participating in the annual Maryland Day, and the focus is kids! In previous years, we’ve had open houses on Maryland Day, but we wanted to enrich the program and provide something fun and unique. So, for 2012, we are opening our doors to all families and inviting the kids to try on reproduction 18th century clothing as well as learn a little 18th century etiquette. Once your child has mastered their bow or curtsy, they will receive a coloring book and postcards as a reward for their stellar manners. No registration is necessary for this free program, and we can promise lots of smiles (as proof, see picture above!) and a perfect bow or curtsy by the end of the day!

Friday Photo: Customer Service

Mary Alexander & Rod Cofield demonstrating questionable customer service

This week, I returned from the Small Museum Association conference energized and full of ideas about using technology in museums, collections management, and improving the visitor experience at historic sites. The picture above came from one of the best sessions I attended, which used improvisational techniques to demonstrate some of the more interesting scenarios attendees had been subjected to at museums. The session was led by Mary Alexander from the Maryland Historical Trust and Rod Cofield from Historic London Town and Gardens. Their organizations, along with the Maryland Association of History Museums, are offering a workshop series over the next three years that explores the theme of “the visitor-centered museum.” The next workshop, called Connecting Visitors to Collections, is on May 21, and sounds fantastic. More information about the workshops, including video from the last one, can be found on the “Creating the Visitor-Centered Museum” website.

Friday Photo: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like…

Christmas! The decorating is done,  and for the first time ever the Hammond-Harwood House has Christmas trees! Lots and lots of them, including this four-inch tall one. Where is it and why is it so tiny? Come see for yourself!